The New Seven Marvels of the Modern World

Petra (9 B.C. - 40 A.D.). Petra, Jordan.

At the edge of the Arabic desert, Petra was the shining capital of the Nabataean kingdom of the king Aretas IV. Masters of the technology of the water, the Nabataeans provided to the city wonderful constructions of tunnels and water chambers. A theatre built according to the Greco-Roman canons was offering space for 4.000 spectators. Nowadays, Petra's Royal Tombs, with a Hellenistic front of 42 meters of height, part of the The Deir monastery, constitute impressive examples of the culture of Middle East and the most impressive is that all this was sculpt directly in the rock.

Christ Redeemer (1931). Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

This Jesus' statue has approximately 38 meters of height and is on the top of the mountain Corcovado, protecting and hugging Rio de Janeiro. Designed by the Brazilian sculptor Heitor da Silva Coast and created by the French sculptor Paul Landowski, is one of the monuments most known in the world. Its construction took five years, for what it was unveiled on October 12, 1931. The Christ, that represents the love and the brotherhood, has turned into a symbol of the city and the warmth of the Brazilians people, who receive the tourists with their opened arms.

Machu Picchu (1460 - 1470). Machu Picchu, Peru.

In the 15th century, the Inca emperor Pachacutec built a city in the clouds of the mountain known as Machu Picchu ("Old Mountain"). This extraordinary emplacement is half a way to the plateau of the Andes, in the middle of the Amazonian jungle and in the left brook of the Urubamba Cannon. It was left by Incas due to an appear of smallpox and after the Spanish were winning to the Inca Empire, the city remained “hidden” for three centuries. It was discovered again by Hiram Bingham in 1911.

Chichen Itza's pyramid (before 800 A.D.). Peninsula of the Yucatan, Mexico.

Chichen Itza is a pyramid which can be considerate the most famous of the Mayan culture and it constituted the political and economic center of the Mayan civilization. Its different structures, Kukulkán pyramid, Chac Mol temple, a Group of Thousand Columns and the Great Game of Ball can be still visit at present. The pyramid is 60 meters of side and 24 of height; it's formed by 9 staggered structures that symbolize the levels of the underworld. Each one of its sides has a stairs, with 91 steps, which make possible to go to the temple in the top.

Roman coliseum (70 - 82 A.D.). Rome, Italy.

This great amphitheatre placed in the center of Rome was built to pay full honors to the good legionary fighters and to celebrate the glory of the Roman Empire. Its original design still remains and practically all the modern stadiums of sports, 2000 years later continue taking the unmistakable style of the Colosseum's design. At present, thanks to the movies and the books, we can understand better the fights and the cruel games that took place in this sand, everything for the entertainment of the spectators.

The Taj Mahal (1631 - 1654 A.C.) Agra, India.

A beautiful love story is the origin of a wonderful marvel, built in Agra, India between 1631 and 1654 on order of Shah Jahan, the fifth ruler of the Mughal Empire, in memory of his loved wife who died in her fourteenth labor. One year later started the construction of this immense mausoleum that doesn’t have anything to envy to Mausolus’ tomb (marvel of the ancient world). 20.000 workers were needed to build it and rumors say that Shah Jahan ordered to blind and amputate the hands of the architects and decorators in order that they never could make something similar again.

The Great Wall of China (V B.C), China

Great is exactly the word that better describes The Great Wall of China since it stretches for 8,851.8 km and in average, it measures between 6 to 7 meters of height and between 4 to 5 meters of width. But why Imperial China needed this big wall? Qin emperor, during the dynasty with the same name, order the construction to defend his nation against the prowler nomadic tribes; and it continued across the successive Chinese dynasties. Several thousand people lost their lives building this colossal emblem.